Lamborghini Knows There's Just One Diablo Anyone Should Ever Agree to Worship

But first, a little disclaimer I need to share with you, dear readers. Around that time, this particular editor was just a boy getting ready to begin the first year of school with dreams of becoming a jet fighter pilot.

Although such a particular career path was entirely Tom Cruise’s fault for starring in Top Gun a few years prior, that future (brazen) pilot wasn’t going to reach the cockpit via a motorcycle.

Instead, models such as Lamborghini’s Diablo paved an eventual career for yours truly, who ended up writing about everything and anything with four wheels. Guilty as charged, the poster boy from Sant'Agata Bolognese managed to make me love cars above (almost) anything else in a matter of minutes upon seeing an image for the first time.

Now, believe it or not, the Lamborghini Diablo is celebrating its 30th anniversary. The carmaker has an odd way of choosing the date, since we’re almost ready to wrap up a troubled 2020 and the Italian automaker is directing our attention towards “one of the most iconic models in the history of super sports cars, originally on the market from January 1990.”

Far from us being the ones to point out we’re just a few days from actually celebrating the Diablo's 31st year of existence, we can only join Automobili Lamborghini in rewinding the years to a special moment from 1985 when “Project 132” began unravelling its story.

The secretive codename was given to the project aimed to spawn a model that would one day succeed the Countach as the flagship of Lamborghini's garage. With clean and overly aggressive lines that would become a staple of the crazy 1990s, the project was another stroke of genius from the mastermind that also created the Miura – Marcello Gandini.

By the way, did you know there’s a splice of American DNA in the Diablo's styling? That’s because the design was also retouched at Chrysler's design headquarters after the U.S. automaker became Lamborghini’s majority stakeholder in 1987.

The Italian brand makes sure to point out the Diablo managed to win “the hearts and appreciation of fans since day one,” although that’s a bit superfluous since the model is easily one of the most recognizable supercars in the world.

More importantly, at the time of release, it was the first Lamborghini capable of exceeding the fabled 200 mph (321 kph) threshold – something that wasn’t as easy to achieve as it is today. More so, “the Diablo was officially the fastest production car in the world at launch, capable of a top speed of 325 kph (203.1 mph).”

As it was customary for the top model of the range, the Diablo was powered by Lambo’s 12-cylinder engine, a 5.7-liter V12 churning out 485 horsepower and 580 Nm (428 lb-ft) of torque at the time of release. It was also a brash sports car, looking for a powerful master and commander at the wheel – no electronic assistance systems or even power steering were available for the RWD monster until 1993.

That year the company introduced the Diablo VT, complete with all-wheel drive, as well as the SE30 limited edition model designed to celebrate the 30th anniversary since the creation of the company. The latter variant also upped the power ante to 523 horsepower.

Lamborghini soon followed with the rear-winged Diablo SV creature capable of exploiting 510 hp, while the Diablo VT Roadster allowed for open-air V12 experiences. The acquisition in 1999 by the Audi Group brought Lamborghini's first in-house stylist – and Luc Donckerwolke quickly proceeded to facelift the Diablo SV. Meanwhile, engineers treated the supercar to 529 hp and ABS, a first for any Lambo.

The story continued until the company pushed into a brand-new century. The Murcielago took over flagship duties from the Diablo in 2001 after the brand wrapped the series with a production of just 2,903 units – the highest ever run of a single Lamborghini nameplate to that date. If only they knew about the rhythm they would achieve less than two decades later.